Headed off campus for the weekend, 55 Ohio State students will evaluate their diversity while developing new leadership skills so that when they come back to campus, they can shape the way Buckeyes see the world.
These students have been nominated by various staff members in Student Life to attend the 10th annual Diversity Leadership Retreat, hosted by the vice president of Student Life, said Jen Pelletier, assistant director of the Ohio Union.
These students have displayed the character and gumption that makes them leaders, said Pat Hall, director of OSU’s National Coalition Building Institute.
Hall said he appreciates what these students are doing, even before the retreat has begun.
“What it takes is a heart to want to do the work and skills to take on mistreatment of discrimination,” he said.
And throughout the weekend, these students, who represent various campus groups and organizations, will participate in exercises to develop their leadership skills.
The day-and-a-half retreat involves multiple activities that require students to open their minds and hearts, Hall said.
By stepping outside their comfort zones, attendees will be more able to consider their own identities while beginning to understand how other people identify themselves.
Another aspect of the retreat includes role playing sessions in which the students learn to effectively shift others’ attitudes about prejudices and stereotypes, Hall said.
However, Brian McDaniel, the student facilitator of the event, said the most effective experiences occur during the Speak Out sessions, when individuals are given the chance to tell stories about their own experiences with mistreatment based on race, gender, sexual orientation and religion.
McDaniel, a fourth-year in industrial systems engineering, has been facilitating the Diversity Leadership retreats since he attended one in spring 2008, he said.
Not only has the experience given him the chance to connect with various leaders within the university, including the vice provost, but it has allowed him to see a change in attitude among students of all different backgrounds, he said.
In comparison to the other retreats McDaniel facilitates, this is the most rewarding, he said.
“The students at this retreat don’t know each other as well as in the other ones,” such as the Greek life retreat or ones for specific majors, he said. “It usually takes longer to start, but the learning curve is a little greater.”
And the students of this year’s retreat are looking forward to this aspect, as well.
Rob Richardson, hall director of Morrison Tower Hall, nominated Tin Cheung, a first-year in business and co-chair of the Morrison Tower Hall Council. Cheung said he looks forward to meeting new people and learning how to deal with situations where people are mistreated. He said he is also eager to develop stronger communication skills so he can share stories of his Asian background.
